Powell police stand outside the Park Motel after an incident in which a man was fatally shot.

UPDATED AT 7:15 P.M. WITH COMMENTS FROM FRIEND, MOTEL MANAGER

A 31-year-old man was fatally shot by Powell police early Thursday morning at the Park Motel. Police say the man held at least one individual hostage in a room for several hours and fired several rounds into the motel parking lot. The man was pronounced dead at Powell Valley Hospital following the incident, said Park County Coroner Tim Power.

Officials have not yet released the man’s name, but a friend identified him as Nick Ungar.

The Powell Police Department had been called to the motel by a 911 call at 3:12 a.m. Thursday, with a report of the sound of several shots having been fired over the past hour, said Powell Police Chief Roy Eckerdt.

Officers contacted a man — reportedly Ungar — at the East Second Street motel.

“The subject self-reported that he had hostages in with him, that he was armed and some demands were made at that point in time," Eckerdt told reporters this morning.

According to Christopher Swartwood, a close friend of Ungar’s who was at the motel, Ungar was involved in a dispute with his father and wanted him to come to the motel.

The Park County Sheriff’s Office and Cody Police Department's tactical team were called for assistance after Powell police responded. Eckerdt said he did not know how many shots were fired during the course of the confrontation, but said that in addition to those reported at 3:12 a.m., officers reported hearing gunfire at 4:33 a.m., 4:43 a.m. and 6:56 a.m.

“Shots were being fired from the building to the outside,” he said.

However, in separate interviews, Swartwood and another man at the Park Motel, co-manager Bill Sales, said they heard no shots between the first two that drew police and the shooting that killed Ungar.

Eckerdt said police confirmed that “there were hostages” with the suspect. Eckerdt said police were told there were between two and four hostages in the room, but early Thursday he wasn’t sure how many were actually found to have been there. Police briefly spoke with one during the standoff, he said.

Swartwood and Sales each said they believed only one person was in the room with Ungar, a woman that he knew.

Eckerdt said the suspect — reportedly Ungar — exchanged gunfire with police around 7:25 a.m., and was shot by a Powell officer. He didn't specify what factors or events played into that decision, citing the ongoing investigation, but said there were concerns, including the safety of all involved.

After being shot, the man was taken to Powell Valley Hospital by ambulance and pronounced dead, Power said. An autopsy will be conducted tomorrow.

Eckerdt said police had received information that the man used a .357 caliber handgun.

Swartwood, who was watching from across the street at that point, said Ungar opened the door and was shot. He disputed the police account that Ungar was firing at officers.

“He didn’t shoot at them,” Swartwood said. “I know that.”

He added that if Ungar had wanted to shoot police, he had a clear shot when they arrived hours earlier. Swartwood said police rejected his offers to try to calm Ungar down and said they should have resolved the situation without violence.

“There was so many other options they could have done,” he said.

No one else was injured in the incident, Eckerdt said, including whoever was in the room with the man and the responding officers. The chief said the man lived occasionally at the Park Motel and at other places in Powell. Swartwood said Ungar was from Chicago and has a young daughter.

Eckerdt indicated that the investigation will include an incident or incidents that happened away from from the motel. He offered few details on any part of the incident, noting that the criminal investigation and investigation into the officer-involved shooting are being handled by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI).

“I can’t talk about anything specifically to do with the criminal investigation, because DCI’s doing it,” he said at the outset of the impromptu press conference at the police station.

Some people at the Park Motel and surrounding block were evacuated from the area at different points during the morning. Some at the motel were taken to the neighboring America’s Best Value Inn.

Speaking Thursday afternoon, Sales said it was frustrating to have the motel’s business closed down for an unknown amount of time for the investigation. Sales also said he’s been told the motel will be responsible for paying for the displaced guests as well as cleaning up the damage caused in the incident.

As a part of routine procedure in any officer-involved shooting, the officer who fired the shot will be put on paid leave while the DCI investigation is pending.

The Tribune will update this story as more information becomes available and have a more complete story in Tuesday’s newspaper.

Editor's note: This version corrects the spelling of Nick Ungar's last name.

84 comments

posted by Aaron Rosenberg

November 28, 2015 8:57 pm

I knew Nick from as far back as Junior high school. We weren't close, but we hung out together in Skokie, Illinois where we grew up on more than just a few occasions. He was a great person and I just want to say we still miss you brother. Even after three years, it still feels like yesterday. R.I.P Nick

Robert Unger, my name is Cassadi and I have some pictures of Nick while he lived here in Nebraska if you would like a copy of them. He was very happy in them, I am sure he would want me to get them to you. You can contact me at [email protected] if you want.

R.I.P..Nick..All I can say is I was reading all these posts that people put on this site and can't believe that thay are giving the police thank yous...when first of all if it was a hostage situation were was was the hostage negotiator and if there was, isn't there job is to really find out if there is any hostages and if he was asking for his dad then it would have been progress in that might have calmed him down and the situation..(and thats if this is what happened) cause the Nick I got to know was all about his daughter & gave everything to be with her. I knew Nick and it might have been only for 7 months but we kicked it tough in scottsbluff,ne not one day went by that he did mention his baby girl and how much he loved her so why would he do what thay said he did & what I'm reading on these posts that people are putting is crazy for one he got shot in one temple and out the other so if it was s.w.a.t. or tactical unit or what ever thay call them so called professionals but then thay are supposed to injure so thay can question the suspect.even the motel manager said that thing didnt add up.. so if any one want some good picture of Nick get at me on facebook..Dion Gonzales and I will accepted your friend request..lets get his story out there..
1 LoVe NiCk aka. Savage will always remember you bro & don't trip things will come out and we will all know really what happened on that early morning..to the person who pulled that trigger and ended my boys life you will answer to the man above just to see my boy Nick looking at you..to see what you really have to say..

Nick will not be forgotten, nor will the ones who did him wrong. Love Ya Brother. You didnt deserve to go out like that! But backgrounds and reputations shouldnt matter, what should matter is the situation at hand and what happened that night! Everyone i know has done things they are not proud of. Hasnt everyone? Does that mean we all deserve a target on our backs from the powell PD???? if thats how it is then so be it, then their actions tword me and any of nicks other friends are considered hostile. How do i know that the next time I get pulled over and go to reach for my I.D. they dont just shoot me and say "woops I thought she had a gun" this whole situation is messed up. and for those of you who have anything Bad to say about it, Keep Nicks name out of your mouth! You didnt know him and you werent there!!!! For those out in Chi-Town I want you to know nick sends his love, he told me that everyday. To All His Friends And Family This Is A Tragidy. But Justice, and Karma will prevail in its own way. 2-9-2012 will never be forgotten by those who cared..... and those that dont give a damn can take a long walk of a short cliff...

to all you dumb F***** you should really watch what you say about good people! Truth will come out and justice will be served!!! to all you Powell citizens, hope your watching your backs, and before you turn your backs to the POWELL POLICE, just realize you might be the next one to get a hole blasted through your head by one of these trigger happy dirty A** cops!!!!!!!!. and everyone needs to remember this is not the first huge F*** up that has happened in POWELL!

I did not know Nick personnely. I have no first had knowledge of how the Powell Police Department conducts business. I do know that Nick had a precious baby daughter that he walked out on. He did not attempt to get to know her until she was a year old. To me that contradicts all stories of what a great guy he was.

Man...even the Billings Gazette is getting curious on why the Powell police are being coy. Come on Powell...you are already thought of by the rest of the world as being PO DUNK!!! Don't reenforce it by incompetent behavior from TOP to BOTTOM regarding the protection of the town.

You know, many years ago when I was in high school, a situation about the same as this went down not too far from here involving someone that I knew and thought of as a friend. He was my best friend's brother's best friend (try saying that ten times!). The situation ended in the same manner, with the loss of a my friends life. For the longest time I was very angry at the officer who took the life of my friend, and I never thought I would ever be able to understand why he did it. Later, when my wife began working as a dispatcher for the department where the officer worked, I got to meet the officer who had killed my friend. You know what, it almost distroyed his life to do what he had to do, and to this day, 10+ years later, it still bothers him that he had to take a life. At that time he had young kids of his own and all he could think about was what it would have felt like if he would have lost one of his own. I know, in fact, that my friend actually wanted them to take his life, (very long story about a very sad life) but I had always believed that they could have handled it different. Now, when I read about Nick, who I know through a friend of my wife's, I think back on how bad it affected the other officer and hope and pray that the Powell officer can regain his daily life sometime soon without being tormented forever by what he had to do. Without being there, there is absolutely no way I, or anyone who wasn't there, can know what actually went on. Yes, in this world there are good cops and there are bad cops, and sometimes it is hard to tell which are which, but sometimes people forget about how they put their own lives on the line by putting that uniform on so they can serve to protect. You have no idea what it is like, and what it was like for my wife, to have to constantly change how she dressed when she was going to work, even though she was just a dispatcher, because of the number of people who are out there who hate the police and anyone who helps them and are even willing to hurt innocent people because of that hate. Judge not, just pray for everyone who was involved and for their families, including the other officer's on the scene, as well as for Nick's family, but also don't forget to pray for the return of a normal life for the officer who ended up firing the shot.

RIP nick.. Ive known nick since Mccraken, and we were always cool, he should still be with us now, and dont believe for a second that him being murdered was called for or deserving.. Your in a better place now anyhow.. R.I.P my old friend.

I think it is sickening when the men and women who are to stand above all else and protect their community are corrupt. Nick was a good man. I had know him for years. I hope there is a investigation, not a police cover up, into his murder and the guilty parties are brought to justice. Not all men of the law are just. To hide a murder behind a shield of honor is disgraceful. I knew Nick well. He was a good man with honor. Nick had family and friends that were left behind in the wake of their loved one taken too soon. My sympathy to all of you.

good going slick i am his cousin in the east and your right lotta people saying stuff but have no idea who he is or wat the hell happened and for all you people that know nick for 29 years and lived in wyoming are full of it cause he hasnt lived there but for around 7

As a FORMER Powell resident,all I can say,is that I am not suprised.These macho polce bullies thrive on excitement,with their itchy trigger fingers.They love to sit in the church parking lots and fantasize about the next BIG thing.And believe me....these officers NEED to be drug tested.Just saying.

from what ive been told by witnesses they murdered my little boy police were at my home at 345 am asking me where he was they new he was a the park hotel the should have brought me there i could have saved his life

First of all I keep hearing people say they were listening to their scanners and not hearing about other shots fired, the police not communicating with him and a bunch of other ignorant things. Most smart people realize that the police have secure channels that we cannot hear and other means of communicating. Second until we are the ones facing that door or a person with a gun we have no room to talk. It's easy to sit on the couch or at our computers and talk tough and have hours and hours to make up decisions. The cops had to do it in "Real Time". Third, everybody says "I knew him" "he wasn't a bad guy" That may be we dont know. but what about the columbine guys or the virgina tech shooter or the any person that "snaps" they are somebodys son or good friend. That doesn't mean what they do is justified. We don't know what is going on inside of everybody or what they are dealing with even though they may be our friend. Until we have all the facts don't judge we were not there. With all the comments you would think that half the town was at the motel.
You may be that person that needs the cops someday and they are going to help you based on the information that they have at the time. Everybody needs to calm down and wait for the full story to come out and not bits and peices that everybody has put together to make up their own story.

powell is super ghetto now a days. I think that it was a lose lose situation and I feel very bad for nicks family. I also feel very bad for the police man that fired on nick I cant imagine having to do that, but I am thankful that police are willing to put their lives on the line to watch over us everyday.

Nick used to be my stepfather and a good one at that. If any of the negative things people are saying about him are true it's because people didn't know him like we did and he makes mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. He was only human. We were all really close (My mom, him, and I). Even when they divorced, we were really close. He loved us and he would do anything for us in the blink of an eye. He showed a side of himself to us that he showed no one else. RIP Nicky. I love you!

I also must add im not condoning or saying what nick did was right. it could have been handled differently and much better. But he did what he felt was right and just wanted to see his dad, his dad only lived a few blocks from where the shooting occured, why couldnt the police get him? why do we have negotiators if they dont listen to what you say and actually negotiate. But Because i was there i will say the cops are lying and i am not afraid to tell them that. Nick NEVER shot at them the only shots i heard was his first one around 3AM and the second which was the one he was shot for around 6:30AM. It was not directed twords the police. both shots fired were up in the air.. again im not saying it was right by anymeans. but he was not putting anyone directly or intentionally in harms way, nick was a friend of mine. and i was standing in the room directly accross from his, with a few of his other friends, before we were all pulled out at gun point, any of us will vouch for it. I was escorted away and told to stay away until everything was solved and the pd's questions were answered which i did. but seeing my friends blood on the walls and floor. and witnessing where he fell there is no way that he tried to exit that room with gun fire. the spot he fell was at least ten feet to the left of the door. this is very sad and heartbreaking for all of his friends to handle and think about.... and one last question... ive heard a few of you bring up that it was good to shoot first ask later... my question to you is these police officers are considered "professionals" well when i think of being a professional i think of a lot of learning and schooling that has to take place. cops are trained to handle high pressure situations thats there job. i could understand if it were a civilian that didnt know what to do and reacted on instinct. but cops are trained to hold back instinct and think clearly in difficult and intense situations.. If nick were to have come out of that room firing (which he didnt) why wouldnt someone yell to drop the gun, or let the hostage go? no one yelled for anything.... I look down massively on the powell police department because after nick was shot the police were caught laughing about it. and nick hadnt even legally been deceased for ten minutes before 2 other police officers were caught bragging about it and talking poorly about him at the hospital. these are not police there are wanna be billy bad a$$e$ that are trigger happy. they look for an excuse to try to look good. news flash guys we arent in the city, and wyoming, espessially cody and powell pride ourselves for the way we handle situations. but cops in my opinion are gettin dirty and heartless there are only a few good ones left, the "old school" ones who understand that people make mistakes and they arent always out to right a ticket or humiliate people. Sorry for the delay but here is my question. How do you expect me to respect a man/women of the law if they wont respect me or my friends? laughing when someone dies??? that is not a laughing matter no matter the circumstance. it is sad no matter how many lives where lost on either side. Show some respect. you dont know what he was going through, i dont either, but in your head push yourself as far as you can, far past your breaking point... no matter what pushes you that far and makes you think of it. and then ask yourself what WOULDN'T you do?!?!....

nick was a great guy and didnt deserve to go out like that. i was there no shots were fired at the police. and there were no hostages she chose to stay with him because he was having a hard time. nick was loyal, loving, and respectful to everyone. he kept telling the police that he wasnt there to hurt anyone and that he just wanted to see his dad. the cops took everything way out of proportion but i must say cody cops handled the situation way better than the powell police. cody's pd was trying to get his best friend on the phone with him to get him to calm down and come out. the powell police refused to let that happen, there are alot of things that happened that night that were not mentioned. the police dont want to feel wrong about there decision. but nick never opened the door to come out. he was sniped from a window in his motel room. he never threatened or came out in a hostile manner. this was cold murder. and now the cops are trying to cover it up. the only time that door was opened was after nick was already shot and it was the girl he was in the room with asking the EMTs for help, to come in and save his life... there was no chance for survival. it was a clear head shot. the cops didnt try any other tactics to get him out and didnt follow through when all nick asked for was to talk to his dad. And the least they could have done was let his best friend talk to him. He felt threatened by the cops Im sure, Who wouldnt? But I know if i were in that situation a familure voice would calm me down more than any nigotiator or counsoler ever could. He just needed his friends there for him while he was going through a rough time. But when the cops showed up there was no more talking, I personally was escorted out at gun point just for being in the hotel after they already knew where he was and what his intentions were. Im a 120lb female and at the time i was in sweat pants and a hoodie... and they saw me as a threat? I think this could have been handled much better and my friend could still be here and alive with us.. this situation is very sad and should not be praised even if you think its right. a man lost his life. how can anyone be proud of that??? needless to say he was a great guy who is being made out to be a villian. he is missed and loved by all who new him. he was a great friend. Rest In Piece Nick We Miss You Brother..
If any one wants to know funeral plans, i can post it here to this site as soon as his friend gets it arranged.

Nick was a great guy. Today is truely a sad day. I truly believe Nick should stil be here with us today and the police screwed up. All you idiots talking crap about a person you didn't even know should be ashamed of yourselves. Police officers are not perfect human beings and from info from all the eye witnesses and people that were there, his death DEFINITLY could have been avoided. All I know is, Nick had a great heart and was always smiling. He will be truely missed and he will be in many people's prayers. Hopefully the truth will come out after the investigation. God bless everyone, as well as the ignorant idiots leaving horrible comments. God bless you Nick, you're in a better place than all of us. You're friend.

It is always the fault of law enforcement...? Whatever. If I challenged the Police with a gun I would expect to be shot..no matter how nice a guy I am. A soon as they showed up he should have thrown donw the gun and come out..PERIOD. Just like typical Sheep to whine about about the way Sheepdogs protect them. Good Job Police!

Its like this, A guy comes into my house in the middle of the nite while me my family are sleeping, im gonna shoot and ask questions later cause i have no idea wether they will harm my family or me, that person runs the risk when they thretend others lives! If a grizzlie charges me while im hunting im not gonna shot to wound the bear but shoot to kill and that means a very vital area!

I've known Nick since High School. We balled @ Shawnee together..we drank..we chilled..we were friends indeed. All of this talk about cops serving n protecting is for the birds..its a bunch of bs..u don't just open fire without a blink when someone opens the door.. wut happen to negotiation??? I'm so sick right now..cops hv a license to kill.. Shoot first, ask question last. Where are all of these hostages PDD?? I hope this Swartwood guy takes down the whole dept!! Makes me wanna load up a couple van loads of my fellow Chicagoans and head out to Hickville. U will be truly missed my man..just try to RIP pimpn..we will get to the bottom of this one.... I promise

What I don’t understand, is if the cop was a good enough shot to hit him cleanly in the head, why didn’t he shoot him non-fatally? If he had hit him in the leg or upper shoulder, it would have demobilized the guy. Has Nick had a bad history with the cops in town, so they thought he was a terrible threat? I haven’t heard about it. Was the gun in his hand when he opened the door, was it by his side or pointed, was he warned or asked to drop the gun? Was he being threatening? I hate to think that the cops just shot him with out immediate provocation, but cops all over America have done much worse, why should Powell, Wyoming be any different.

Ive been reading allot of these comments. I've never even heard of most of you people. I've known nick for over twenty years. Through good, bad, and the other. I know that a select few of the people on this board actually did know nick, and we'll all see each other and toast to his memory soon. Too all the rest of you sorry ass backwoods hillbillies who keep making one dumb comment after another, shut the f*** up.

I knew Nick awhile back, and he never seemed to be that type of person. He was a good kid, when you needed a favor, he'd be right there to help you, and unfortunately I'm very sadden with this loss. After my old man passed on, he was there to help me coup with it. I agree with how everyone else states about the Powell PD, a bunch of real time f***ing a**holes. Nick, I'll never forget you. Whatever this headline says, its a fabrication!!! Cause I know you're not this type of person who would do such a thing.

Seems to me the Powell Police don't know what they're doing, become to nervous when confronted with a serious situation, and have itchy trigger fingers. There were many other options that could have been exhausted before kicking in the door and putting a bullet in that man's head. Absolutely unacceptable behavior from these officers and they should be put under a federal investigation. There should have been a hostage negotiator, Nick's Dad could have been brought to the scene and he could have used a megaphone to talk to his son and to calm things down, and in no way should police have just kicked in a door guns ablazing without exhausting all other efforts...this is not the Wild West. Bunch of hillbilly cops got their underwear in a knot because they didn't know how to correctly respond to the situation at hand, and it's obvious that they we're incompetently trained. Shame on you Powell Police, you should be deemed murderers in this case. Eyewitness accounts have deemed your version of the story as a flat out lie, but nice try on the cover up. Corruption in a police department is unacceptable, intolerable, and these officers should be immediately fired and put under a federal investigation. As for Nick's family, they should sue the piss outta this police department for wrongful death. My condolences to the Unger family, may God rest his soul. And to the officers responsible, and you know who you are, karma's a you-know-what, and you'll be judged on your last day accordingly.

First of all, my heart and prayers go out to ALL invovled in this unfortunate incident. Second, are people thinking of the officer that just KILLED some one? Is any one thinking about what this has done to him/her? The police were just reacting they way they were trained. One comment posted said something about what were the police supposed to do when there were gun shots and the man said he had hostages, ask him nicely to stop!? Another thing, what if it was you in that situation? What if you were a hostage and shots were fired? Would you want the police to help you out even if they have to take out the gunman? Or would you rather the police just ask the gunman nicely to chill? Its unfortunate a life was lost in this situation but dont judge, thats Gods job.

I will say that I have known Nick for about ten years. I know he had a short fuse and was irrational at times, but I do not believe that he would walk out of the hotel "guns blazing". I have seen him with my nieces, he worked for my dad. I will say that he was from the big city and it showed, but to what extent was it necessary to escalate the situation and make it end up in such a confronation? I really think that if they just took their time things would have ended much differently. Perhaps they could have gotten his father on scene to talk to him? (Not necessarily in the room but through a loud speaker or whatever). I know beyond most people that will read this article that Nick has been taking care of his father for years. Their relationship wasn't the best, but Nick made sure that his dad was taken care of nonetheless. I know that the police around here are really bad about locking on to people and for lack of a better term "harrassing" them by following them or simply waiting for them to mess up and conveniently being in a position to see it. Through all of my knowledge of Nick this was the case for him. He was pulled over many many times by the police and they always had 3 cop cars every stop. Two miles an hour over the speed limit, not stopping at a stop sign for 3 seconds, and at that stop he told me they even searched his vehicle with a drug dog when he had no prior drug charges and had nothing to give them a reason to believe he had drugs. He was the type of man that showed you respect if you showed it to him. He wasn't someone to just be bullied around and I think the mentality of the police force that we have operates on a certain level of that. I realize however that their authority does deserve respect, but I believe that they can do their job and show respect too. Everyone makes mistakes, noone is perfect, and it is sad that Nick will be labeled most likely as a bad guy. He wasn't a bad guy and I feel it is unfortunate, however wrong he was in the situation, that death was the answer. I know that the police have to pass a shooting test before they are allowed to carry a weapon, there are many places on the body that would not have resulted in fatal wounds. They could have used tear gas or sandbags to de-escalate the situation in a different manner. You also have witnesses claiming that he wasn't shooting at the cops before they shot him, they didn't disclose how many times they shot him either... Hmmm. I will not speculate, but please don't use this situation as a model for what should happen in future similar situations. I can't help but ask questions as a friend and now have to bury my friend, I hope more than anything we can learn to handle this kind of thing better.

Need more details. Was he exiting he room with guns pointed or rms at his side. I personally don't believe a word Powell police says because I've seen them lie, and heard them talk tons of smack about Powell citizens while eating lunch. They are a bunch of bullies collecting lunch money. Powell needs to clean up their pd. Also need more accounts from people besides police chief and shooter's best friend, neither are reliable as they both have an agenda, whether purposely or not. Prayers to everyone involved, especially he dead man's daughter, I hope someone is there to step in and raise this child.

What about nonlethal force I know that's not hollywood myth Wyofamilyguy. Don't u people remember a couple years back when the Powell police busted into that ladies house ripping pictures off the walls and crashing through windows only to find a small amount of drugs. Come on people. I remember when I was in high school seeing one of my buddies getting a guy pulled on him by a certain female cop for running a stop sign and then getting out of his truck not knowing they pulled up behind us. Now, she's part of the DCI.

As a person who knew nick personally he Is not a bad guy! Along with whomever said that the peoplethere with him also known as the "hostages" were there by choice. What makes me dislike this article is that get your facts before putting an article in the paper seeing that they changed the story many times on how many shots or hotages there were and excuse me but if the police had spoken with a hostage during the standoff in person then hello they aren't a damn hostage! Also police would know how many people were in the room once they all cleared right? All I'm saying is gety the story straight before publishing to the press. I agree police are here to protect but what does this prove or show people that its ok to just randomly shoot a guy. With police not knowing the true facts of how many shots were fired and if shots were not fired at them and nick had just opened the door let him speak! No need to aim and shoot at the head to purposely kill him, if you need to shoot do it to wound not kill so you can gtboth sides of the story!

Sounds like the Powell police over reacting like alway (trigger happy). And the DCI isnt much better..... And I know what people are going to think when they read this, that I'm some kind of criminal but I've never been in trouble with the law.

Wow!! So disgusted reading these comment. To Salty Dawg your an idiot!! That man has a name NICK UNGER!! He was a great person, don't believe he would hurt anyone. The police obviously don't know what they are doing there, to really just shot him was not necessary. From what I am reading, he just wanted his father, why didn't they get him for him. He was a good person, a father, a son, a good friend with a big heart. RIP Nick, prayers go out to the family and friends of a great MAN!!

Of course the Powell Police shot first. The Powell police force think Powell is a real city. Im happy they kept us all safe, but i doubt it was as clean as they say. The Powell cops have a history of corruption. Either way, a man lost his life and another man has to live with taking it. I wish everyone involved the best.

I too listened to this on my scanner, and i heard more than 1 mention of shots fired- cjm maybe you just missed one of them. And i'm not saying this to be mean, but with all the drug use in powell (we all know it's a problem here) maybe just maybe he was on something - all his "friends" leaving comments on here say he was a good guy but even good guys on drugs do stupid stuff.

Ok what about when he freaked out a couple of weeks ago at the bank in Powell? What about the people there in the bank. There are victims and there are people that cause harm to others. Only time I ever seen people that had a gun in there hand intendeds to use it. So I'm glad that the cops didn't let this go on. All I have to is nice shot!!!

There are no winners in these types of cases. The police respond to this type of situation in hopes of solving it without anyone getting hurt. The out come is left to the person causing the situation in the first place. The first priority for the police is the protection of human life and that includes there own life. No one will ever know what was exactly going through this mans mind when he elected to take this violent course of action. No police officer ever wants to take another persons life but they have to be able to protect themselves to ensure they go home at night. A police officer reacts exactly the way he/she is trained and when they have to deploy deadly force they are trained to stop the threat. That is why we pay them. It is time to let the investigation run its course and realize that most of us were not there and we don't have to make the really tough decisions. Believe me, a police officer who has been placed in a deadly force situation has to live with the decision they made for the rest of there lives. Do not judge until you know all the facts.

Regardless of what really happened and even IF the police were negligent, they will not get into any trouble. They will lie just as much as the next person to save their butt and job. Unfortunately that's the way it is these days. "Paid administrative leave" what a joke!

Pray all you want,it's your choice,in this case praying will do nothing.The cards were dealt and the loser is gone, as Kenny Rogers said in his song "you gotta know when to hold em and when to fold em". The cards are now folded until the next bad decision comes along,move on.

This is a tragedy by every definition. The Powell Police Department can certainly not consider this a success when I life was taken, a father, son, brother and friend was lost. The decision making process needs to be reviewed by the Powell Police Department, especially when it concerns taking a human life.

My heart goes out to the officer that had to make the decision to fire. They knew what he had to do and what was necessary in order to protect those around. This is going to be a part of his life forever and those that think that this is something that is taken lightly, have no idea what it takes to have to make a decision like that. I fully support the Powell Police Department, they are a group of great people who have a great love for their community and I'm sure that when you are on the wrong side of the law it's easy to be critical and think that you have been treated unfairly, but they are always there when you need them and they deserve our support if not our respect.

I have known Nick for almost 29 years and I would never guess that he would do something like this. Something else is going on. Facts are being covered up.
I will miss him very much. No matter what anyone says, he was a good person with a good heart. Its a shame that things went the way they did. I am not saying anyone involved is right or wrong but now I am mourning the loss of a childhood friend. Keep Nick's family and friends in your prayers. Have a heart. Miss you Nick...RIP

You know those cops. Just love to shoot people and make-up stories. Seriously?!?! A very unfortunate event for my home town community. I will pray for the officer who shot the suspect. This is something no police office wants to have happen. And something he will live with forever.

Well all i can say is the cops were not in the wrong they made a decision and who are we to judge them the officer that shot has to live with this the rest of his life who would ever think in little ol powell wyl that this would happen and not to mention look at the time frame little kids getting ready to go to school they are the ones in need of protection i would expect nothing less being a parent its unfortunate but its done i feel for the little girl left behind nobody should be bashing the guys name but he made some stupid choices and thats that!!!!!!

Time to leave this town,things are getting to hairy around here with all the trigger happy law anymore,and Cody is no better.Powell sure is NOT what it once was,and it's getting worse by the day,especially since Steve Oliver was railroaded out by someone we all know.

You are wrong. I have know Nick most of his life. My son has been best friends since they were 10 yrs old. Nick would NEVER hurt anyone. He was sweet & NOT Violent!! All the cops should lose their jobs. Their belief, SHOOT 1st, ask questions later. I am very angrey & upset.

Amen, I always find it funny how someone can start shooting at victims and then somehow become the victim. When a person makes a decision to pick up a gun you have just crossed a line that you may not be able to go back from. Once you have made that decision you give up your right to play "fair" because you are not playing "fair." As unfortunate as someone being killed is, it is the price a person pays for bringing such violence in the first place. People must be held accountable at some point for the decisions they make. Unfortunately, this man made a decision and gave officers no other choice. Prayers for the families of ALL involved and for the officer. May he know in his heart and mind that on that morning, on that day, he did what he had to do and what was right for all involved.

I hope they get to the bottom of this investagation. Something doesn't sound right. Yes police serve and protect. Yes they need to protect themselves but your also paid trained proffesionals that should be prepared for scenarios like this. This is super disturbing! Nick your in my prayers, I will light a candle for you.

im kinda frustrated at all the ppl leaving comments about how the police in this town are just here to serve and protect... why dont you ask some of the ppl who are involved with the law and see what they have to say!! this is a small town and because of that the cops think they are above the law and think they can get away with anything they want and in any case is totally true they can get away with anything they want. i was listening to the scanner as well and i only heard them say "shots fired" one time and that is when they got called to the sceen. not to mention i live half a block away from where it went down and i only heard two shots at 3:22 exactly. im disgusted at the ppl that say the POWELL POLICE are only here to serve and protect that is total crap and anyone that just sits back and says "ya powell police, great job" killing someone is never a good thing when all they had to do was injure him and get him some help.. no one deserves to die unless they committed murdur and even then they deserve to live locked up for the rest of there lifes in a 6 by 8 cell wondering why they did it.. suck in a 6 by 8 cell alive in a grave!!! come on ppl nobody was in the right here not the guy who was in a motel room or the police and there is so many different ways this could have been solved other than the cops killing him as soon as he opened the door!!!

Hannah Jones, he didn't need to say anything. He spoke from the muzzle of a firearm. He placed himself into a dangerous context when he started playing tough guy with a gun. It didn't matter what his agenda was after he did that.

And Angry Citazen ... you'd be whining if the police didn't respond appropriately and someone other than the suspect was harmed/killed as a result. Luckily, we'll never know.

I don't know the whole story, but I am sure that it'll reveal itself in time. But the hard fact is this: if you use gunfire to get attention, you run the risk of getting attention with gunfire. If this is confusing to anyone, check national and world news. It's known that guns attract guns and then it turns into a bad day for one or both of the parties involved. I'm not excited about anyone getting killed or hurt, but I am glad the situation was resolved in a small radius and no bystanders or officers were harmed. As far as I am concerned, the PPD did it right. That's what we pay them to do. So rock on, PPD.

holding hostages?Gun fires? Scarey stuff,for sure and I,for one am very grateful for law enforcement and am confident that the proper investigations will be conducted in order to provide accurate reports to the public..adding fuel to fires of anger isn't helpful,nor very productive.On the forefront of my mind today as I drove by the orange barrels,blocking the motel is how we,as a community,can find proactive, preventative measures to keep other individuals from going over the edge.Instead of questioning our law enforcement,I wonder what could possibly trigger this behavior in a man,if others saw indicators that he was about to fall off the deep end,and if this incident is not a very good reminder that as a community,we have neighbors,friends and relatives that are going through such difficult time...makes me very sad .....

people who think the police acted in cold blood, do not have the knowledge of the situation can't say much. Of course it's terrible a man lost his life, but you have to realize the situation. Police receive a call about shots being fired, he told them he had hostages, do you think their first priority was to ask him nicely to stop? The main thing on their minds is to help the people he has against their will. Now you can hate the police all you want, but have to damn common sense to realize the situation before you condemn them for their actions, do you think they wanted to kill the man? No way. It's just how the situation played out. To all the people saying 'why not shoot him in the arm/leg' Are you serious? have you ever been in a situation like that? you don't aim for an arm, you aim at the threat. It's very hard to do something like that in a high stress environment. Odds are, one of the officers' life was at risk, that being the case, they didn't take time to aim at an arm or a leg.

Nick I love you and miss you BROTHER RIP .... WHY DID THIS HAPPEN NICK was a great friend , dad, son etc.... I hate the police for this he was my best friend ..... MAYBE NEXT TIME THE POLICE WILL USE their mouths and NOT THERE GUNS .......

Thank you Powell Police for protecting the public. I appreciate you and all you do! If someone has a gun and is shooting it with the intention of harming somebody else they need to be put out of commission one way or another. Yes, he was somebody's son, but he made the choicest try to harm someone elses son who was just doing their job. Thank God none of the children in the area were hurt. Even one shot into the public could have turned out worse then it did.

The only people who know what really happened are the people who were there. To say one way or the other when you had no part in it is just ignorant. The cops went off what they knew. That the man had a gun and shots were fired. It is unfair to say that what the police did was wrong or that they lied. If you were an officer of they law and put your life on the line like they did this morning I am sure some people here would have a different perspective. Look at the facts, not the what ifs or hearsay. The man had a gun and the man was firing. Would you take a chance for that man to open the door and pull his gun on you or would you pull yours first? It is impossible to say what it is like to be in that position unless you have done it. Just please take all things into consideration before bashing on a situation like this. The police did what they had to, to make sure they were safe and that our community was safe. That is their job. They had to make a split second decision that was literally life or death. Sometimes that can be their life. There isn't always a lot of time to sit and think about different scenarios in a situation like that. They reacted on what they knew and how they were trained in a really intense and difficult situation.

its just sickening to think that the police, the ones we r to trust and the ones that r supposed to serve and protect us, can just pull the trigger with an aim to kill, why not fire at his leg or arm, Im just sick over it.. Nick was a good guy..a friend and this is just disgusting..

Really Hannah then i guess you were listening to the scanner like me, and heard them mentions several times that shots had just been fired. And say time and time again that the number they called went to voice mail- they tried over and over again to make contact with him. Oh and the part about him wanting to kill his dad is just a lie too. maybe you should withhold your comments till you get both sides of the story.

This story is 100% incorrect and the powell police officers are lying out their ass's. There were no hostages only peopleho wanted to be there with the man! shots were not fired all night and the police had no communication with this man up untill the door was opened! the door opened and the man was instantly shot in the head without a chance to speak his peace!!

I find it interesting that the only person being talked to or quoted from is the police chief. Have you considered talking to any of the witnesses to get a more accurate picture? As, from what I've been told by some of the eyewitnesses, that's definitely not the full story.

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